TankBud

Flame moss

Taxiphyllum sp. 'Flame'

Also known as Taxiphyllum 'Flame', Taxiphyllum sp. 'Flame Moss'

FreshwaterMossCuttingsSide shoots

Flame moss (Taxiphyllum sp. 'Flame')
Aquarium Plants Factory · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Light
Low light
CO2
CO₂ beneficial
Temperature
68–82°F
20–28°C
Max height
3.1 in
8 cm
Growth rate
Medium
Placement
Epiphyte
Type
Moss
pH
5.5–8.0
Hardness
2–15 dGH
Spread
5.9 in (15 cm)
Nutrient uptake
Water column
Growth region
Submersed or emersed
Difficulty
Easy
Family
Hypnaceae
Origin
East or Southeast Asia (exact species undescribed)

Overview

Glue or tie a thin layer to rock or wood and let the spires climb upward, since a thick starting pad just shades and rots underneath. It grows slowly to moderately in low light with no CO2, but even overhead lighting matters: side-lit or dim spots make the flames flop sideways and lose their shape. Trim spires back to about 3 cm with curved scissors once they pass 6 to 8 cm to keep them tight and branching.

In the wild

An as-yet undescribed Taxiphyllum species believed to originate in East or Southeast Asia, where Taxiphyllum mosses grow emersed and submersed on rocks, wood, and stream margins. It thrives fully submersed across a wide range of soft to moderately hard freshwater.

Good to know

Flame moss is a not-yet-formally-identified species of the genus Taxiphyllum in the family Hypnaceae, sold purely under the trade name 'Flame'. Its hallmark is sparsely branching shoots that grow in upright, twisting spirals, an unusual strictly vertical habit among aquarium mosses, in a notably deep green.

Did you know

The twisting, upward spires really do look like a standing flame, which is why aquascapers plant it in tight clusters to mimic a crackling green campfire or a row of cypress trees.

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